Chapter 835: Free Labor
Electric light flashed, and wind blew, picking up withered leaves. Xiao Chen disappeared from Qing Cheng’s sight in the blink of an eye.
Slight rage appeared on Qing Cheng’s face. However, she covered it up very well as she continued to lead the group forward.
By sunset on the second day, Xiao Chen had collected thirty-five Rank 3 Spirit Veins, a horrifying number.
Even the Supreme Sky Sect could take out only two or three hundred Rank 3 Spirit Veins to use as rewards. Of course, this figure did not include their several tens of thousands of years of accumulations.
Inside the Immortal Spirit Ring, the Lunar Cassia Tree that Ao Jiao cared for with all her might was already over a hundred meters tall. Lush green leaves covered the tree.
As for the Dragon Mark Fruit that Xiao Chen valued more, its growth gave him a pleasant surprise. Now, it had six branches, each one bearing a glistening fruit.
The concentrated effect of the thirty-odd high-ranked Spirit Veins was well worth the energy he had expended.
Ao Jiao giggled, Do your best. This group of Ghost Race cultivators is really nice. There are more than a hundred people helping you to search for Spirit Veins for free. Such chances are rare.
An atmosphere of frustration spread through the Ghost Race troops. Even Qing Cheng started to wonder if she found the right person.
Qing Cheng saw that they fought difficult battles with the Corpse Race. However, this fellow obtained the Spirit Vein’s origins with little effort.
Sometimes, when they were lucky, Xiao Chen would be able to pick the Departed Spirit Flower along the way. However, if the Corpse Race had already snatched the Departed Spirit Flower, he would not exert himself to help them.
When the Ghost Race cultivators wanted to ask Xiao Chen for aid, they found that he had already disappeared without a trace. They simply could not do anything about him.
In the following two days, not only the Ghost Race cultivators but also the Corpse Race cultivators put their guard up against Xiao Chen. Even if the two sides were in the midst of a fierce battle, once they saw him appear, they would stop by tacit agreement and immediately snatch the Departed Spirit Flower and Spirit Vein’s origin.
Furthermore, most of the Spirit Vein’s origins had already been found. Xiao Chen’s harvest decreased sharply in volume. In the past two days, he only managed to get his hands on five Spirit Vein’s origins.
However, forty Spirit Vein’s origins were already enough. In these four days, the Lunar Cassia Tree and the Dragon Mark Fruit had reached an age of four hundred years old.
Xiao Chen estimated that the Lunar Cassia Tree would be able to mature in two more days. At that time, he could choose to keep it for his own use or sell it for Astral Coins.
Of course, all this assumed that he could obtain that Peak Spirit Vein. Otherwise, he would have to wait a hundred years.
He could also spend a large amount of money to purchase Rank 3 Spirit Veins from the black market, but that would not be worth it.
Suddenly, the group stopped traveling. Xiao Chen frowned slightly. The Death Energy in the air abruptly increased significantly.
Death followed after life. When plants withered, when birds or beasts died, or when cultivators fell, there would always be Death Energy in the world.
However, ordinary cultivators would find it hard to detect. If they accidentally sensed it, they would avoid it. No human would enjoy Death Energy.
Xiao Chen was no exception. However, the Ghost Race cultivators behind him looked radiant. Their eyes became spirited. Clearly, they enjoyed this sensation.
He squinted at the desolate grassland in front and saw two black columns of smoke at the limit of his vision. This smoke floated into the sky and formed black clouds in the clear sky.
Unexpectedly, the Death Energy was visible to the naked eye. Needless to say, the area below the black clouds had to be where the Departed Spirit Fruits were.
In the opposite direction, the Corpse Race cultivators all stopped as well. As they looked at the black clouds, their eyes gleamed with greed.
Five men stood at the head of the Corpse Race group. The one in the center was the person that Xiao Chen had paid some special attention to, the mysterious man with the Departed Spirit Flower mark on his forehead.
Beside that mysterious man was Wang Can, whom Xiao Chen had fought before. As for the other three, they were outstanding talents among the Corpse Race’s younger generation.
“Brother Wei Hua, that place should be where the Departed Spirit Fruits are. However, that are only two columns of smoke. That Black Flame Sovereign Snake guarding them must have eaten one already.” Wang Can spoke very politely as he pointed to the front.
Wei Hua nodded and said in a somewhat hoarse voice, “I feel it. I only need one Departed Spirit Fruit. That will be sufficient for me to reach late-stage Inferior Grade Martial Sage.”
“About the Ghost Race’s group…”
A murderous intent flashed in Wei Hua’s eyes. He replied, “No need to worry. This time, I brought three Underworld Fire Demonic Corpses. Each of them has the combat prowess of a Medial Grade Martial Sage. Even if we run into Di Wuque, there would be no need to fear.”
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Intense explosions resounded in the air. Wang Can looked up and saw a figure quickly advancing overhead.
He could not feel any Death Energy or Heavenly Sage Laws. Whenever that person stepped on the air, there would be an intense thunderous explosion.
This person walked in midair, relying entirely on his physical body and moving very fast.
Wang Can’s face lit up with joy as he smiled. “Kui Dou is here. I feel even more confident now.”
Wei Hua raised his eyebrows slightly and said, “The physical body of the Iron Hand Sovereign’s progeny is indeed as strong as his ancestor’s.”
When Wei Hua spoke, his tone did not contain any friendliness. Wang Can knew the reason for it. Wei Hua’s grandfather was one of the true major characters of the Corpse God Palace, one of its four Sovereign Martial Emperors—the Underworld Fire Sovereign.
Back then, when the Iron Hand Sovereign attacked the Corpse God Palace, he fought with Wei Hua’s grandfather. In the end, the Underworld Fire Sovereign defeated him, but a trick allowed the Iron Hand Sovereign to escape successfully.
After a long time, the old grudges slowly faded away. Between Sovereign Martial Emperors, there would not be any eternal grudges.
However, when these two descendants met up, there were definitely some minor ill-feelings.
“Whoosh!”
Kui Dou’s figure flashed and landed before Wei Hua. His lips curled up in a smile as he said, “Sorry for making the two of you wait so long. I met Yan Shisan along the way. I only managed to throw him off after expending some effort.”
Wei Hua smiled gently and said, “Yan Shisan cultivates the way of the killing sword, eliminating all lifeforce and killing everything. You cultivate by tempering your physical body. It is normal for you not to be able to defeat him.”
Kui Dou’s expression changed as he stared at Wei Hua. Then he suddenly smiled and said, “I was wondering who this was. It turns out that it is the Underworld Fire Sovereign’s descendant. How is your grandfather’s injury? The scar on his chest has not faded yet, right? The full-power strike of a Rank 7 Sage Body would surely leave a mark that will not fade in ten thousand years.”
When the two met, they started coldly deriding each other. Wang Can quickly stepped forward and laughed, “Let’s go quickly. Brother Kui Dou, after this matter is settled, I promise to pass the Heavenly Ghost Cultivation Art to you.”
Kui Dou snorted coldly and did not say anything more. Wei Hua also knew how to behave appropriately. Now was not the time to seek trouble with the other party, so Wei Hua did not continue his mockery.
The two groups rushed towards the black smoke floating up. After four hours, they arrived at nearly the same time. However, they did not start fighting immediately. Instead, they all showed grave expressions.
When they reached the bottom of the smoke columns, they did not see any Departed Spirit Flowers. They only saw a black snake with its body coiled around, looking like a small mountain.
The snake had black scales with a faint flame on them and a small horn on its head. It flicked out a forked red tongue as it moved its head around to check its surroundings.
This creature was the Black Flame Sovereign Snake. However, it was larger than everyone expected. Moreover, that small horn on its head meant that in the ten intervening years, the Black Flame Sovereign Snake had definitely grown stronger.
Qing Cheng stared at the Black Flame Sovereign Snake and said, “There is a problem. It has eaten a Departed Spirit Fruit and is probably as strong as a Superior Grade Martial Sage now.”
Wang Can and the others frowned as well. They did not know what to do. They had not anticipated that the Black Flame Sovereign Snake might become such a huge problem.
The two groups took to the air and saw the anxiety in the other party’s eyes.
This standoff was not the result that Xiao Chen wanted. He contemplated for a while before saying, “The Departed Spirit Fruit should be under its body. I’ll lure it away.”
Ji Shizhan, Bai Su, and the other Ghost Race cultivators looked at Xiao Chen in shock. Their reaction was not due to doubts about Xiao Chen’s strength. Instead, it was because Xiao Chen rarely took the initiative to make a suggestion.
“Don’t worry. I am still quite confident in my speed. After I return, I will help you delay Kui Dou.”
Xiao Chen’s next words eased Qing Cheng’s doubts. She nodded and said, “Just dragging this out is not a solution. In that case, we will have to trouble Young Master Xiao. However, are you confident of escaping?”
The interests of both sides intertwined. If the Ghost Race lost, it would be impossible for Xiao Chen to obtain the Peak Spirit Vein.
“I never do anything I’m not confident of.”
Xiao Chen pushed off the air, and his figure flickered. Then, a bow appeared in his hand. He quickly drew the bowstring and released an arrow. The arrow flew out like a meteor, tearing through the air.
“Ka ca!” The arrow accurately struck a crack between the Black Flame Sovereign Snake’s scales, entering its body.
Just one arrow had so much power. Qing Cheng, Wang Can, and the others were all shocked. Since when was the Black Flame Sovereign Snake’s defense like a piece of tofu?
“That bow contains a secret!”
Several people stared at the Soul Slayer Bow in Xiao Chen’s hand, revealing expressions of extreme interest.
This was especially so for Kui Dou. When Xiao Chen drew the bow, Kui Dou had watched very carefully and noticed that Xiao Chen used only Vital Qi.
Blood spurted as the Black Flame Sovereign Snake let out a pained cry. Then it spat a stream of flame at Xiao Chen in the air.
The dense black flame looked like heavy dark clouds in the sky. Everywhere it passed, it burned the air to ashes, leaving behind pitch-black space.
Xiao Chen dodged nimbly and drew the bowstring back again to fire another arrow. Now, the Black Flame Sovereign Snake was utterly infuriated. It soared into the air, launching its gigantic body at him.
When the Black Flame Sovereign Snake’s body was completely airborne, three Departed Spirit Flowers appeared before the cultivators, two of which carried one black fruit each.
“Attack!”
The two sides retracted their attention from Xiao Chen’s Soul Slayer Bow. Without saying anything else, they started fighting.
Along the way, the small teams that had gone out in search of Departed Spirit Flowers had already fought the other side several times. They had long been prepared for this huge battle.
Far away, Xiao Chen, who was dodging the attacks of the Black Flame Sovereign Snake, revealed a faint smile. This battle was the situation that he wanted to see.
The black flame surged out relentlessly. Occasionally, large patches of pitch-black space appeared in the air.
Xiao Chen frowned. He did not dare stint on his efforts to dodge. This flame was mighty and ferocious. Furthermore, it contained Death Energy, which could burn away lifeforce.
Suddenly, the shrill whistle resounded in Xiao Chen’s ear. A gust of saber-like wind penetrated the surface of his Quintessence shield, causing him to wince slightly.